1. Selected Recent Employment
2. Selected Previous Employment
3. Awards & Commissions
4. Qualifications & Training
5. Selected Exhibitions
Visiting Lecturer - University of the West of England, Bristol - Ongoing
(Graduate Certificate in Community Arts & Media Professional Practice, focusing on the role of the artist within primary and early years education)
Consultant - Stonehenge Young People's Consultation Project - English Heritage at Stonehenge - Ongoing
(Working with groups of local children and young people, to inform the development of the learning and outreach programmes, and the new Visitor Centre facilities)
Project Mentor - 5x5x5=creativity Kingston - Ongoing
(Supporting the establishment of a new research cluster and the professional development of the artists, educators and cultural centres involved within it)
Project Artist - Unearthing Stories - Salisbury Arts Festival, BTCV and Wiltshire Young Carers - May to June 2010
(Working at Harnham Water Meadows, supporting young people to explore the local environment through making, storytelling and practical conservation work)
Workshop Leader - Learning through Relationship: People, Places and Materials - Earlyarts & 5x5x5=creativity - May 2010 (A hands on workshop for artists, educators and playworkers working within the early years, on the use of Intelligent Materials)
Creative Partner - Voices That Bridge - Churchfields Infant school and A New Direction - February to June 2010
(Working with this NE London based school, using creative ways to enable children's voices to be heard and acted upon, in enriching and gaining an awareness of their local outdoor environment)
Consultant - Explore:Connect:Create with Salisbury & South Wilts Museum - April to May 2010
(Devising and delivering a programme of professional development and mentoring for the learning & outreach team on creative, participant led approaches to family learning)
Artist & Consultant: Creative Outdoor Learning Project - Lancaster University Pre-School Centre - November 2009 and January 2010 (Working with 2 to 5 year olds and pre-school staff to develop creative and child-initiated approaches to learning outdoors)
Presentation: Creativity & Learning, Including Boys - 5x5x5=creativity, Kingston, Surrey - November 2009
(A presentation for Headteachers and Pre-School Educators, on the importance of creative approaches to learning and access to the outdoors in the foundation stage)
CAT Presentation and workshop - Community Arts Training Scheme, Wiltshire Council - November 2009
(A presentation and workshop for artists, education officers and community group leaders on working in the participatory arts)
Making Tracks Project - Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum at Kiwi School - September to November 2009 (Working with Year 3 children and their families, using different forms of mark-making to explore the Stonehenge landscape)
Shelter Sculpture Workshop - Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes - September 2009
(Working with the Young Archaeology Club and their families to design and create a woven shelter in the museum grounds)
Holocaust Project: Tree of Hope - Little Ilford School, Newham and Bow Arts Trust, London - June 2009
(A sculpture project, creating a Tree of Hope based on the year 9 History students' own hopes and ambitions for their future world, in response to learning about the Holocaust.)
Food & Farming Project - Symondsbury School, Denhay Farms and DepARTure, Dorset - June 2009
(A project for year 1 children, visiting a dairy farm in the Dorset AONB and creating artwork in relief to expore how the cattle, landscape, wildlife and food inter-connect.)
Pond Sculpture Project - St Sampson's Junior School, Cricklade, Wilts - May 2009
(Working with year 3 to 6 children designing and creating sculptures inspired by Pond Wildlife from natural and recycled materials.)
Presentation: Creativity and Inclusion - Primary Art and Design Conference, Wiltshire County Council - May 2009 (A joint presentation with Catherine Lamont-Robinson, sharing learning and case studies from previous projects, including 5x5x5=creativity)
Creative Explorers Workshop - Kiwi Pre-School, Bulford, Wilts April 2009
(Working with 4 year olds and their parents, using creative ways to explore the school grounds, focusing on shape, pattern and texture.)
Connect and Create Project - Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and South Wilts Extended Schools Service, Morgans Vale and Downton Primary Schools - November to December 2008
(Working with Reception and Year 1 children and their families, on a series of creative sessions responding to the Museum collection and each school's local environment.)
Making History Residency - Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, Salisbury - October 2008
(Working with family groups and young people at a series of programmed arts activities, to encourage engagement with, and understanding of, the exhibits within the Making History touring exhibition.)
Community Consultant - Enford Community Consultation Project - Enford Village, Wilts - June to October 2008 (Working in partnership with Open to Arts to deliver a series of creative events designed to encourage the local community to share their memories of their old village hall and their ideas for the new one.)
Presentation - 'Creative Investigation and Ecological Learning' Creative Thinkers=Powerful Minds Conference, Bath Spa University - July 2008
Project Evaluator - 'Get in the Gallery' - Morgan Boyce Art Gallery, Kennet Valley Arts Trust and We Love Marlborough, with local schools - May to July 2008
(External evaluator for this open submission postcard-art project.)
Project Evaluator - 'Mr Wippy and the Conettes' - The Curious Company with KVAT and We Love Marlborough - May to July 2008.
(External evaluator for these community based performances and workshops)
Artist/Researcher
- '5x5x5=Creativity' - Pitton Pre-School and Salisbury Arts Centre with Wilts County Council - December 2007 to May 2008.
(Action research within an early years setting, supporting children to use creative means to investigate the world around
them. Involving practical sessions with Pitton Pre-School, near
Salisbury.)
Jurassic Jaunts Project - St Joseph's School, Poole - April 2008.
(Working with reception age children exploring the school grounds to discover pattern and texture, before working with clay, found materials and plaster to explore the processes involved in fossilisation.)
Environmental Arts Project - St Paul's Primary School, Chippenham - March 2008.
(A two day project, designing and creating head-dresses from natural and recycled materials on a wildlife theme with 8 to 11 yr olds and exploring the school grounds using mark-making, rubbings, photographs, found materials and clay impressions with 5 to 7 yr olds)
(Working in conjunction with Reach (Swindon), I set up and led a group for disabled performers and artists who lived in the Devizes area. Members of ‘The Messy Rainbow Glitter Show’ met regularly to explore new ways of working with visual arts, music, dance, drama and video. Work made by the group was selected to be shown at both a local and national level.)
Project Artist - Recycled Sculpture at Canberra Youth Centre, Melksham - November to December 2007
(Working with a group of young people over 4 sessions, designing and creating sculptures from sustainably sourced materials, based on issues relating to global warming. A West Wilts Council funded PAWS project.)
Wiltshire Sustainable Schools Conference - Wiltshire Wildlife Trust at Longleat Forest - November 2007.
(Leading creative workshops and discussion with teachers and head-teachers, exploring the use of visual arts as a means of learning about biodiversity.)
'Learning Outside the Classroom' - Bournemouth Teachers Conference at
Bournemouth Learning Centre - November 2007.
(Leading creative workshops and discussion for
teachers and head-teachers using a range of creative media to explore
the local natural environment.)
Presentation - '5x5x5, Our Learning Journey' - Wiltshire Early Years Team Teacher Training Day - Devizes, Wilts - October 2007.
(A presentation delivered jointly with Carrie Beckett of Pitton Pre-School, sharing the professional development that has taken place through the last 2 years of the 5x5x5=creativity research project.)
Project Leader - 'Making Marlborough' summer arts project- Reach Inclusive Arts - July to September 2007.
(I set up and ran an 8 week arts project for disabled people from the Marlborough area. Participants were introduced to different media and ways of working relevant to their interests and experience.)
'Shelter Sculpture' workshop - Poole Family Arts Festival - Upton Park, Poole, Dorset - September 2007.
(A woven shelter built in the grounds of Upton House, with families attending the festival; using willow, recycled materials, and natural materials collected on-site.)
Lead Artist - ‘Reclaim Our River’ Educational Arts Project - Marlborough Primary Schools with Kennet Valley Arts Trust - June to July 2007.
(Working across 3 local schools, I supported groups of children in exploring the River Kennet, as part of the ‘Reclaim The River’ initiative, developed by ARK and KVAT. The resulting work was shown in an exhibition at St Peter's school and the 'Reclaim Our River' arts and environment festival.)
Presentation - ‘Intersubjectivity - Learning Through Relationship’ - 5x5x5=Creativity Conference - Bath Spa University - June 2007.
(A presentation following the learning journey of one child involved in the 5x5x5 research project and how his approach to learning was supported and accommodated within the project.)
Artist/Researcher - '5x5x5=Creativity' - Pitton Pre-School and Salisbury Arts Centre with BANES Council and Wilts County Council - December 2006 to April 2007.
(Researching the
way that children use creative means to investigate the world around
them. Involving practical sessions with Pitton Pre-School, near
Salisbury.)
Lead Artist - Environmental Arts Project, Bulford and Tidworth Camps, for Toozalii Ltd - April and May 2007.
(Working with children from local army families, using creative ways to explore the local environment. The project was documented using video for a dvd commissioned by Toozalii Community Arts Ltd.)
Presentation - 'Visual Art and Community Engagement' - Wilts CATS Course, Chippenham - March 2007.
(A talk for representatives from community organisations, on the role of the visual arts in engaging individuals of different ages, needs and backgrounds.)
Presentation - 'Participatory Practice and Professional Development' - Wilts CATS Course, February 2007.
(A talk for artists interested in working within education and the community, exploring the relationship between individual and participatory practice, and the practicalities of gaining experience and finding work.)
‘Yew Tree’ Project - Salisbury Arts Centre and Pitton Pre-School, Wilts. - October to December 2006.
(Using creative activities to enable a group of 3 to 4 year old children to explore and celebrate local trees. Developed to run alongside the Yew Tree exhibition, with a dvd of the work carried out shown at the New Shoots exhibition in January 2007.)
Presentations - 'A Creative Learning Environment Through Responsive Practice' -5x5x5 project for Wiltshire County Council, Devizes and Wilton, Wilts. - November 2006.
(Two presentations for teachers, on supporting creativity in early years education, with reference to the 5x5x5=Creativity Research Project)
Dragonfly Sculpture Project ('The Big Draw') - Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Langford Lakes Reserve - October 2006.
(Working with family groups visiting the nature reserve, building a giant dragonfly sculpture from willow and recycled materials, for display in the education centre.)
Sculpture Project, 'Something Important to Me' - Elizabeth House Social Centre and Link-Up Arts, Salisbury. - September 2006.
(Creating sculptures from a range of materials with people with mental health issues, for the 'Riita's Impact' exhibition at The Creasey Gallery, Salisbury. A Salisbury District Council PAWS project.)
Presentation - 'A Creative Learning Environment Through Responsive Practice' - 5x5x5 National conference - Bath Spa University - June 2006.
(Sharing work and findings developed through research carried out at Pitton-Pre-School. Looking at how to promote the evolution of effective learning environments within educational settings, through child-centred creative practice.)
Artist / Researcher – ‘5x5x5= Creativity’ – BANES Council, Pitton Pre-School and Salisbury Arts Centre – September 2005 to June 2006.
(Researching the way that children use creative means to investigate the world around them. Involving practical sessions with Pitton Pre-School, the research was presented in an exhibitionand publication in the summer of 2006.)
Presentation - 'Good Practice in the Management of Creative Projects in Educational Settings' - Trowbridge, Wilts - February 2006. (I was invited to share my experience in running creative projects at a 'Community Arts Training' course for education professionals)
Presentationand Practical Workshop - Community Arts Training Scheme for Artists / Wiltshire District Councils - November 2005 (I was invited to talk about my career development and run a visual arts workshop for artists training to run Community Arts Projects.)
Project Leader - ‘Fanfare Project’ - Holburne Museum, Bath – April 2005.
(A project with ‘The Holburne Museum’ to develop seating in the Sidney Gardens, a public park alongside the museum, which was designed and constructed with a group of boys from a local school for children with challenging behaviour.)
SELECTED PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
2000 - 2001 'Explainer' - Natural History Museum Education Dept, Kensington, London.
1999 - 2001 Artsworker/Stage Crew - Carousel Disability Arts / High Spin Dance Co - Brighton / on tour.
2000 - Workshop Leader - Brighton Museums Service.
1997 to 1998 - Education Assistant - Kettles Yard Art Gallery, Cambridge.
AWARDS AND COMMISSIONS
2009 - Salisbury Arts Centre Open 09: Drawing. Winner of the Prize for the Public Vote, for Wonder
2009 - Dia de los Muertos for Mencap. Albert's Shirt created as a commissioned piece for exhibition and fund-raising auction at The Proud Gallery, Camden, and Bonhams, Knightsbridge.
2009 - Evolver Prize. Short-listed for the Evolver Magazine Prize and winner of the public vote for The Message
October 2006 - Wessex Muse Magazine Article - 'Awareness Through Art, The Work of James Aldridge.' A commissioned article that focused on the relationship between my individual and participatory practice in encouraging greater environmental awareness.
March 2006 - Disability Arts Online Article - 'Inside-Out ; Art, Image and Disability'. A commission to write an article which explored the issues surrounding 'hidden' disability and self-image, in relationship to my own individual artwork, and my approach in running creative projects with people with differing needs.
July 2005 – ‘On the Next Level’ Action Research Award – Artshape. A commission to create individual and participatory work for the ‘Space Between’ exhibition.
July 2005 – Marlborough Jazz Festival Commission. An invitation to create work inspired by The Marlborough International Jazz Festival, exhibited at an exhibition in ‘The Katharine House Gallery’, Marlborough.
April 2005 – CATS Bursary. I was awarded a bursary to work with the four Wiltshire District Councils and Trainer Christine Wilkinson to develop and contribute to CATS (Community Arts Training Scheme) courses for artists, community groups and those working in education who were interested in learning how to set up their own projects.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTED TRAINING
November 2003 – Community Arts Training Scheme – Wiltshire District Councils.
(A four day course on fundraising, budgeting, marketing, and management of community art projects)
March 2003 – Disability Equality Training for Artsworkers – Ruby Associates, Salisbury
(Two day training course commissioned by Salisbury District Council.)
Sept. to Dec. 2000 – Carousel training course - Brighton
(Working in combined creative arts (art, music and drama) with people with learning difficulties.)
1993 to 1996 – BA(Hons) Fine Art – Surrey Institute of Art and Design
(Specialised in sculpture)
1992 to 1993 – National Diploma in Foundation Art Studies – North Herts College
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
November to December 2009 - Salisbury Arts Centre Open 09: Drawing, Salisbury, Wilts (Wonder, shown as part of this national open drawing exhibition and winner of the prize for the public vote)
October 2009 - Dia de los Muertos - MenCap at Proud Galleries, Camden, London (Albert's Shirt shown as part of this group exhibition and auction for Mencap, with Tracey Emin, Craigie Aitchinson, and others)
September 2009 - Open View - Bath Area Network for Artists at Bath Artist Studios Gallery (Pieces of the Puzzle shown as part of a mixed, open entry exhibition)
July 2009 - 'The Evolver Prize' - Dorset County Museum, Dorchester.
(The Message shown as one of the shortlisted entries for this regional art prize and winner of the public vote)
April to June 2009 - 'PAWS Celebration' - ARC Theatre, Trowbridge and Pound Arts Centre, Corsham, Wilts.
(Belonging shown in a group exhibition by the artists involved in the participatory arts workshops scheme)
October to November 2008 - 'Small Pictures' - Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, Wilts.
(An
open submission exhibition including mixed-media works Finding Home and Oare Hill)
September to November 2007 - 'Small Pictures' - Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, Wilts.
(An open submission exhibition including mixed-media works Ritual and Buried printed onto collaged paper and leaves, using digital images from Forest series)
April 2006 to March 2007 – ‘Space Between’ Touring Exhibition – WWT Slimbridge Glos, Brewhouse Theatre Taunton, Holton Lee Arts Centre Dorset and Salisbury Library & Galleries.
(Inside-Out - A series of artworks from recycled clothing produced with an Action Research Award from Artshape)
October to November 2006 - 'Yew Tree' - Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, Wilts.
(Shroud - a yew wood and leather hanging, made for an exhibition of work by regional artists, from the wood of a tree felled during the Arts Centre's redevelopment. Shroud explored the role of the Yew in western pre-Christian spiritual practices)
September to November 2006 - Mixed-Media Exhibition - Browns Furniture Showroom, Letchworth, Herts.
(Selected mixed-media works exhibited and offered for sale amongst antique furniture)
September 2006 - 'Riita's Impact' - Link-Up Disability Arts Festival - Creasey Gallery, Salisbury, Wilts.
(A series of mixed-media works layered onto clothing fragments to explore identity and disability - Public Private and Personal)
October 2005 – ‘Marlborough Jazz Artists’, Katharine House Gallery, Wiltshire.
(A series of mixed media pieces commissioned by ‘The Marlborough International Jazz Festival’)
November 2004 – ‘Preloader 1’ – Wiltshire and Swindon short film festival, Cove Theatre, Chippenham.
(Screening of Singing Ribbons; designed, directed and performed in collaboration with ‘The Messy Rainbow Glitter Show’)
November 2004 – ‘The Oskar Bright Film Festival’, Old Market Theatre, Hove.
(Screening of Mask Dance; designed, directed and performed in collaboration with ‘The Messy Rainbow Glitter Show’)
June 2004 – Puthall Park Sculpture Show, Wiltshire.
(Spirit - sculptural instalation made to occupy a large Apple tree in the grounds of Puthall Farm),
July-Sept. 1998 – Hitchin Museum and Art Gallery.
(Banner created as part of a Residency with a local Primary School and jewellers, exploring local cultural diversity)
July 1996 – Henley Arts and Music Festival.
(For an Older Child and Standing Cradle sculptures, selected for exhibition)
May 1996 – Degree show, Surrey Institute of Art and Design.
March 1996 – ‘Open Wide’ student show, Bayswater, London.